Showing posts with label Paul Breitner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Breitner. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 01, 2014

World Cup '74 Portrait #97 (Berti Vogts: West Germany)




graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest randomly-chosen subject features Berti Vogts, who was represented in both the FKSPanini ‘World Cup ‘74’ sticker albums & subsequently, having been selected for the official West Germany squad for the Finals, like his full-back partner & the recently-drawn Paul Breitner, went on to appear throughout the tournament, in all 7 of the West Germans’ ultimately trophy-winning matches, although keeping a more defensive & lower profile (I can’t say whether I remember Vogts from the ’74 World Cup, or otherwise became aware of the name soon afterwards).


Somehow, the (unreliable) memory plays the trick that it was Berti Vogts who fouled Johan Cruyff to concede the second-minute penalty that led to Holland taking the lead in the Final even before a German player had touched the ball, but this was not the case, Uli Hoeness being the offender: Vogts, rather, playing for his club Borussia Monchengladbach, brought down Kevin Keegan to give away the decisive penalty to Liverpool during the 1977 European Cup Final.



P.S. (late evening)


Crikey O’Riley, never mind the distraction of the current World Cup (& Belgium finally overcoming the USA, & Tim Howard in particular, 2 – 1 after extra time in a decent old match), but ‘next’ season has kicked-off in earnest for TOoT tonight with one of our very favourite teams, the mighty Ferencváros, coming from behind to earn a 1 – 1 draw in Malta at Sliema Wanderers in the first leg of a Europa League First Qualifying Round tie: it’s going to be a long haul to the Final for our Hungarian heroes…

Saturday, June 28, 2014

World Cup '74 Portrait #94 (Paul Breitner: West Germany)




graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s iconic subject is Paul Breitner, resplendent in his trademark 'fro-esque hairstyle, one of those relatively few memorable figures/names from the 1974 World Cup, who played in all 7 of West Germany’s matches on their way to winning the tournament (after being represented in both the FKS & Panini commemorative sticker albums), nominally at left back but often popping up in attack in the manner of ‘total football’ (as practised by not only the Dutch), socks habitually worn around his ankles, scoring the only goal in the opening victory against Chile with a spectacular long-range right-footed strike, breaking the deadlock in the first Second Round group game, the 2 – 0 win over Yugoslavia, in similarly impressive fashion, & then converting the equalizing penalty in the Final against Holland